All-Russian Astronomical conference "Close binary stars in modern astrophysics" will be held at Sternberg Astronomical Institute (Moscow, Russia) from May 22 to May 24, 2006.

Binary stars are natural laboratories in which motion and interaction of the components allow the measurement of the most important stellar characteristics, including masses, radii, effective temperatures and probing the internal structure of the stars. This is why binary systems have always been considered as primary sources in astrophysical studies. Binary stars with relativistic components are now used as precise tools to test theory of structure and evolution of ordinary stars, degenerate stellar remnants and black holes. The unique features of close binary systems with compact relativistic objects are mainly determined by accretion of matter from the normal companion star on the compact object. The huge gravitational energy released in accretion is transformed into heat and radiated away in hard electromagnetic spectrum. The physics of these processes was first elaborated in our country in the middle 1960s - the beginning of the 1970s in pioneer papers by Ya. B. Zeldovich, I.S. Shklovskij and their collaborators.

Long-term optical observations of eclipsing close binary systems with eccentric orbits have been carried out by D.Ya. Martynov, his students and collaborators. They provided the unique opportunity to study apsidal motion in these systems that allows probing the internal structure of the stars and testing fundamental theories of gravity.

Conference organizers:

Sternberg Astronomical Institute (SAI MSU)

Moscow State University

Astronomical Scientific Consil (RAS)

INASAN

International European-Asian Astronomical Society

Scientific Organizing Committee:

Cherepashchuk А.М. - Chair

Khaliullin Kh.F. – Vice-Chair

Postnov К.А. - Secretary

Bisikalo D.V.

Boyarchuk А.А.

Gnedin Yu.N.

Glushneva I.N.

Karetnikov V.G.

Katsova М.М.

Lipunov V.М.

Masevich A.G.

Pystylnik I.

Sakhibullin N.А.

Sunyaev R.A.

Tutukov А.V.

Shakura N.I.

Kumsiachvilli M.I.

Voloshina I.B.

Local Organizing Committee:

Voloshina I.B. - Chair

Prochorov М. E.– Vice-chair

Zabolotskij M.V. – Secretary

Abramova O.V.

Antipin S.V.

Bychkov K.V.

Katisheva N.A.

Pavlov A.A.

Popov S.B.

Tiurina N.V.

Shakura N.N.

The Conference Program:

Apsidal motion in semi-detached binaries;

Highly evolved close binary systems;

Physical processes in close binary systems;

Evolution of close binary systems;

High accuracy observations of close binary systems from future space missions

The special memorial session devoted to the 100-th anniversary of the well-known Russian astrophysicist, professor D.Ya. Martynov, will be organized in the framework of the conference.